Remember
by Morralls
Summary: Set after the Second David Job. It's been six years since the team scattered, and they haven't seen each other since. Somehow, even when you think you'll never see someone again, you have a knack for being reunited.
1. The Portrait

This theft had mattered more to Sophie than any theft before now, and any that she would ever commit again. She hadn't realized just how important a painting could be. She had stolen them all: Impressionist paintings, Degahs, Monets, Dalis, Rockwalls, Rembrandts... You name it, she had stolen it.

She had been entertaining the idea of stealing this one for six years, and she hadn't done it. She hadn't been able to steal this one. It wasn't right, or fair. She hadn't been able to steal when it would hurt someone who didn't deserve it, and she had rejected the idea whenever t invaded her thoughts.

Until, that is, three days ago.

She had been in the park, wandering, which she did too often now, and as she neared the end of the trail in the woods, she saw him, standing across the lake. She stopped, then ducked off the trail, where she could watch without being seen.

He was just standing there, staring at the water, one hand in his pocket. He looked good. The last six years hadn't changed him much. His hair was a bit thinner, a bit grayer, but he was in his fifties now. He was still lean and strong, and he still stood at his full six feet, two inches. His eyes were clear, and the blue was as piercing as ever. Sophie forced herself to stay where she was, hidden from those cerulean eyes. She told herself it was better like this. It had been too long, and their opportunity had long since passed. He stayed, unmoving, for ten or fifteen minutes, then pulled a single white iris out of his pocket and dropped it into the water. That done, he looked around once more, sighed, and left. When she was sure that he was gone, Sophie went to the spot where he had previously stood, looking down at the iris in the water.

_And I don't want the world to see me_

_'Cause I don't think that they'd understand_

_But when everything's made to be broken_

_I just want you to know who I am._

Sophie had forgotten, which was inexcusable. She decided to steal the painting, so that she would never be able to forget. It took her a day to find it and another to prepare.

The actual theft wasn't hard. She waited for the owner to leave, went in, and took the painting.

In hung in her living room, where she could always see it. That way, she couldn't forget how badly she had wanted to burst from her hiding place, screaming Nate's name, and throw herself into his arms. She could never forget all those cons and thefts. She could never forget what it felt like to be part of a team.

With the portrait of Old Man Leverage watching over her, she could never forget the last words she had heard Nathan Ford say.

_We made a difference. Remember that._


	2. Men Don't Cry

"_No encores." _

"_I already forgot your names."_

"_Are you in?" She nodded, then fixed him with a searing smile._

"_I wouldn't miss this."_

"_We finish this one." He spoke reluctantly. _

"_Anyone who wants to walk away can do it now."_

"_We're done." A rough hand clasped his. _

"_Thank you."_

"_And you? Who do you have something to prove to?"_

"_Myself…" She smiled. "…you arrogant son of a bitch."_

"_Let's steal ourselves a miracle." They could do it. He knew they could._

"_We've got to take control. _We_ have to be the police."_

"_Nate!" From that moment, their cover was blown. "Nate!"_

"_Oh calm down. You act like you've never been shot before."_

"_That uh, drink thing? You've never used that on me, have you?"_

_She raised the bottle to her lips and took a long sip. "I would never."_

_He raised an eyebrow. "Of course not." She smiled._

"_She can't act."_

"_She can act… when it's an act."_

"_We're a bit more than a team."_

"_I now pronounce you man and wife baby. Go'on and kiss that bride."_

"_I still don't understand how you can mix up Paris and Tuscany."_

"_Did you just kill a guy with an appetizer?"_

"_Do _not_ put your faith in a man!"_

"_He knows that you've made him a better version of himself."He looked at her, trying to make her understand. She did._

"_Aw man, why do they all gotta be this hard?"_

"_No, not a lecture. Just a question. Is this helping?" She asked, her tone miserable. He couldn't answer._

"_Them?"_

"_And me."_

"_You'd leave?"_

"_Give me a reason to stay."She smiled invitingly at him. _

"_He's an addict! My father was an addict, my grandfather! I know the type!"_

"_I'm just going to let you think about that for a minute."_

"_Are you ready to finish what you started?" He laughed._

"_I'm ready for a drink."_

"_Apparently there _is_ criminal activity lurking behind every routine civic etc etc." He looked at her, and she gave him a satisfied smile. _

"_You've been doing it for years. Just put on your bowtie and ring the doorbell."_

"_Alice made a friend!" She sounded so happy about it. It meant something to her to have a friend who was 'normal'._

"_You don't need rehab Nate." _

"_You need revenge." They were right._

"_You don't con us. You don't con your own team."_

"_You still see us as just criminals."_

"_There's a reason we worked together." He reminded them._

"_I leave this team when _I_ leave this team. Nobody makes me."_

"_It feels odd leaving a job half finished. It's like an itch._

"_Thank you. All of you. You surprised me."_

"_We had a good run."_

"_It's a good time to move on."_

"_I'm going somewhere… else."_

"_A fresh start."_

"_We made a difference. Remember that."_

He shivered when he woke up, and rubbed his face, though his eyes held no tears. Men didn't cry. Besides, he hadn't heard from the thieves since their departure. They didn't keep in touch. He got out of bed and got dressed, desperate to escape his memories. In a record ten minutes, he was out driving, looking for a crowded place.

There was a new town center that had just opened, and true to L.A. style, it was overcrowded. Nate parked and started wandering through the crowd, grateful for the background noise. It reminded him of parties once attended and the voices of four thieves in his head.

On days like this, their absence was unbearable, and he would escape his solitary life and go to the most crowded place her could find.

There was a fountain, and he took refuge at the edge, looking around at the people there. His gaze caught on a couple talking a few feet away. The man was flirting, and she was just enjoying it. Nate couldn't see her from behind, but he could tell that she was beautiful. She was wearing a black dress that fell to the backs of her knees. Her dark brown hair was long and layered. The man said something, and she laughed and pushed playfully at his shoulder.

She wore a ring on the third finger of her right hand. The stone was a sapphire inlaid in silver and surrounded by tenth karat diamonds. He recognized the ring, because he had given it to her. He was sure of his dialysis when he saw her lift the man's wallet.

He went over to her and pulled the wallet out of her hand. "Same old Sophie." He murmured in her ear. She pun and round, and when she smiled at him, it was like the sun breaking free of the clouds.

"It's been a long time."

"Seven years." Nate agreed. "You grew your hair out."

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

"It looks great. I love it."

Sophie smiled at him. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you. You look exactly the same." She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "What brought you here?"

"A job, actually." Sophie said. "I was hired to get a Van Gogh."

"Back to the old hobs, huh?"

"People don't hire thieves for the good guys." Sophie reminded him gently. "We were a special case."

"That's true." Nate nodded, a bit awkwardly. "So how long are you going to be in L.A.?"

"I have to catch a plane in two hours." Sophie told him apologetically.

"Oh. How have you been, Sophie?"

"Good." She nodded and smiled. "How about you, Nate?"

"Oh, I've been great." He lied. "Yeah. Life's been good."

"I'm glad to hear it. I worry, you know?"

"You don't need to." Nate assured her. "I'm doing well."

"Do you still drink a lot?" Sophie asked. Nate debated what to say to that. If he told her that he did, would she stay?

In truth, Nate had stopped doing a lot. Drinking wasn't the same now without Sophie's pointed criticism and Eliot's asides about him being a drunk. He avoided electronics because they reminded him of Hardison, and he avoided crowds most of the time because eccentric people reminded him of Parker. He didn't like horses, because he could see Eliot in Kentucky, in his element. He used to love the theatre, but now he hated to go. He couldn't walk through the door without thinking of Sophie, and that was hardest of all.

He opted for the truth. "Not rally. Not like I used to."

"That's great." She smiled, but it didn't reach her face. "I'm glad to see you doing well."

"Yeah. It's good to see you too Sophie. I hope you're taking care of yourself too, even if you're stealing again."

"I tried to stop, but that's what I do." Sophie sighed. "Don't you miss it at all? The thrill of a well executed con, the exhilaration that comes with success?"

"Not many people miss being a professional thief, Sophie."

"I didn't ask about many people. I asked about you." She said. He smiled wryly.

"Yes, I miss it." He admitted.

"I always thought you had it in you."

"So you've told me." There was music playing, and Sophie stepped closer, taking his hands. "What are you doing?"

"We haven't danced in so long." Sophie told him. He let her pull him close and held her there, moving to the quiet music. For a moment, he could forget the past long, lonely seven years. He was back to being part of a team, and he and Sophie were back to dancing around a relationship just as surely as they were dancing around the fountain. The music became clearer as they got closer.

_Hey baby, is that you?  
Wow, your hair got so long  
Yeah, yeah, I love it, I really do_

He felt her long hair brush against his fingers and smiled ironically, pulling her closer. "Fitting." He murmured, and she nodded and laughed quietly.

_Yeah, life throws you curves  
But you learn to swerve  
Me I swung and I missed  
And the next thing you know  
I'm reminiscing_

_Dreaming old dreams  
Wishing on wishes  
Like you would be back again_

I wake up and tear drops  
They fall down like rain  
I put on that old song we danced to and then  
I head off to my job  
Guess not much has changed

Punch the clock  
Head for home  
Check the phone, just incase  
Go to bed  
Dream of you  
That's what I'm doing these days 

"What have you been up to Nate?" Sophie asked.

"Working I'm back to working with stolen art."

"What exactly do you do?"

"I'm kind of a private investigator. I find what needs to be found and seel the information."

"Just can't get out of stealing, can you?"

"I guess not." Nate smiled. "Do you tal to any of the others?"

She shook her head. "You're the only one I've seen for seven years."

"They've probably forgotten us."

"I don't know. They remember, though I don't know if you miss it."

"Do you miss it?"

"Parts of it. I miss helping people. I miss working with friends." She smiled.

"I can understand that." He checked his watch. "Hey, you're going to be late. I don't want you to miss your plane." He pulled away.

"I suppose I have to go."

"Yeah. Hey, listen, uh… next time you're in L.A., feel free to give me a call. It was nice, seeing you again."

"I will." She smiled sadly. "Take care of yourself Nate."

"You too Sophie." He couldn't say goodbye. He couldn't make it official that he was going to lose her again.

She smiled and walked through the crowd, leaving him behind, alone again. The old pain was gnawing at his chest, and it would be harder to wrestle away now that she had seen Sophie. The song was still playing.

_I wake up and tear drops  
They fall down like rain  
I put on that old song we danced to and then  
I head off to my job  
Guess not much has changed_

Punch the clock  
Head for home  
Check the phone, just incase  
Go to bed  
Dream of you  
That's what I'm doing these days.

He went back to his car and climbed in, eager to get out. His vision was blurry, but he ignored it. He wasn't crying. Men didn't cry over stuff like that.

He just had something in his eyes.

Author's Note: This was supposed to be a oneshot, but I was listening to my ipod, and that song came on. I'm lucky it wasn't 'What Hurts the Most', because then the story would have a really sad ending. Anyway, I decided that this story needed to be continued, and so I'm writing the end. I have one more chapter planned, maybe two. We'll see how it goes. The song is 'These Days' by Rascal Flatts.


	3. Homebound

The room was littered with unconscious Parisian men. The only American in the room was sitting on the couch, finishing his coffee.

The door opened, and he tensed, ready for another fight. "Paris, Eliot?" Sophie was standing in the doorway, a cup of coffee in her hands. She leaned against the doorframe and watched him, her head tilted to the side in an expression that he had never forgotten.

He shrugged. "Wherever the job takes me." He gestured to a chair nearby. "Sit down for a while."

Sophie picked her way across the floor and took the chair. "You look good."

"Thanks. So do you."

"Thanks." She studied him for a moment. "How did you get that scar?"

He rubbed his finger over the line through his left eyebrow. "A fight. He had a ceramic knife." Eliot explained. "He nearly blinded this eye."

"I'm glad he didn't."

"Me too." Eliot agreed. "So what brings you here Sophie? Seven years and I haven't heard one word from you. Why are you suddenly back?"

"I saw Nate." Sophie said. "I was in LA for a job, and I ran into him."

"How is he?"

"He's okay." Sophie spoke quietly. "He misses us."

"I'm not surprised." Eliot replied. He took a sip of coffee. "But why are you here?"

"I was thinking that we could… go see him. All of us." She looked at him. "I know you miss it."

"Putting my life in other people's hands?" Eliot scoffed. "Yeah, I really miss that."

"No, not that. Being part of a team." Sophie corrected. Eliot didn't reply. "You don't have to stay, but I was thinking we could go and see him."

Eliot frowned. "We'll get Parker and Hardison, and then go to LA. I'll stay for a few days, then I'm gone."

"Thank you."

"I don't want to." Eliot said sharply. "But I know how shameless you are when you want something. I don't feel like dodging you for two years."

"I know." Sophie replied. Eliot got up and she followed him out of the room and to his car. She climbed in the passenger side. "Do you know where either of them are?"

"No. They haven't contacted me either." Eliot didn't sound too angry about that. After all, he hadn't made any effort to contact any of them.

"Well, I'm sure we can find them."

Two weeks later saw them in Rome, where a museum was being robbed, artifact by artifact, under nearly impossible circumstances. In short, it screamed Parker.

Eliot got a job as a security guard, watching artifacts at night, and quickly becoming their most relied on man. When he was set to watch their most precious artifact overnight, he waited patiently, watching carefully. The lights went out, and he listened for the hissing of a thief on a zip line. His hand shot out, seizing the wrist of someone, and he turned on his mini flashlight and pointed it into the thief's eyes.

Parker squinted and brought a hand up to cover her eyes. "Hey!"

"Leave your theft to another day Parker. We're going on a trip."

Parker lowered her hands, squinting towards him. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it. "I know you…"

"Yeah. You do, and you tripped the alarm." Eliot replied. "Now are you going to stand here and get caught, or are you gonna come with me?"

"I think I'll steal my priceless artifact, actually."

"There's something wrong with you." That line hung in her mind, and something clicked into place.

"Eliot?"

"Good job. You remembered me, now let's go! Sophie's waiting in the car!"

"Sophie?" Parker dropped from her zip line and grabbed the artifact, then tucked it into her bag. "Why is Sophie with you?"

"We're having a reunion, apparently." Eliot replied. The sound of someone approaching came audible, and increased in volume fast. "Let's _go!" _ He picked the thief up and took off running towards the emergency exit and then to where Sophie was waiting in the car. He threw Parker into the backseat and climbed in beside Sophie. She was speeding off before he got the door closed.

"The cops are going to be following us."

Sophie frowned around. "Did you have to rob a museum in Rome, Parker? They're good here."

"I don't get caught." Parker said. "So Rome doesn't matter to me."

"Ugh." Sophie hit the brakes in an old parking garage. They abandoned the car, getting into one they had hidden there earlier. Eliot jumped into the front seat of the sports car, with Parker beside him and Sophie in the back. Eliot stomped on the gas, peeling out of the parking garage and speeding off into the Roman evening.

"Hi Sophie." Parker said.

"Hello Parker. How've you been?"

"I've been okay. I haven't had a challenge in a long time though. So where are we going?"

"To find Hardison." Eliot said. "Then to LA to visit Nate."

"Oh. That's good. I bet he misses us."

"He does." Sophie said.

"Did you two hook up?" Parker asked.

"No. I ran into him a while ago."

"How's he?"

"Okay."

"Is he still a drunk?" Parker's curiosity hadn't faded apparently.

"Apparently not." Eliot grunted.

"That's surprising." Parker pulled her phone out and looked through it. "Should I call Hardison?"

"You still talk to him?" Eliot sounded surprised and jealous.

"No. I just never deleted your numbers." Parker replied. She called, putting the cell on speaker phone.

"…. Hello?" Hardison's voice was hesitant.

"Hi Hardison. How've you been?"

"Fine… who is this?"

"It's Parker." She sounded offended. "You haven't forgotten me already, have you?"

"Parker?" Hardison laughed. "Well damn. I haven't heard from you in forever!"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry."

"No biggie. So what's up?"

"Sophie says we're going to see Nate!" Parker replied brightly.

"Sophie's there?"

"And so is Eliot." Sophie put in. "Hello Hardison."

"Hey Hardison." Eliot sounded angry, though that might just have been because he was concentrating on driving.

"Hey guys! How've ya'll been?"

"Good." Sophie replied. Eliot grunted.

"So where are you Hardison?"

"I'm in D.C. The White House had a room open, and I wanted to check it out. It's a pretty nice pad. There's a lot of interesting stuff to hack into here."

"We'll be there tomorrow." Sophie said. "Then we're going to LA."

"See you guys tomorrow then." Hardison said happily.

"Bye Hardison." Parker hung up the phone. Eliot drove to the airport, and they boarded the earliest plane to D.C.

They arrived early in the morning and called Hardison, who met them down the road from the White House, climbing into the back of their rented car with Sophie. Eliot brought them back to the airport and they all boarded a plane to LA.

Sophie was the one who acquired the car this time, and she and Eliot sat in the passenger seat, with Hardison and Parker in the back. They sat in silence for several minutes, and Sophie turned the radio on just for some background noise. A song came on, and the lyrics cut into them all.

_Another summer day  
Has come and gone away  
In Paris and Rome  
But I wanna go home_

May be surrounded by  
A million people I  
Still feel all alone  
I just wanna go home  
Oh, I miss you, you know

Eliot frowned out the window, staring at the familiar streets of Los Angeles and remembering days best left in his past. He couldn't stop the feeling of déjà vu and it annoyed him that he hadn't looked forward to something like this in seven years. He also couldn't ignore the rightness that hung over them. The companionship that remained between them.

_And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you  
Each one a line or two  
"I'm fine baby, how are you?"  
Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough  
My words were cold and flat  
And you deserve more than that_

Sophie stared ahead, thinking of all the letters and postcards that were in her penthouse, never sent. There were several to each of them, filled with apologies and explanations that she could never really give them. They all showed her desire to be part of a team again.

_Another aeroplane  
Another sunny place  
I'm lucky, I know  
But I wanna go home_

_I've got to go home_

Let me go home  
I'm just too far from where you are  
I wanna come home

Parker looked out into L.A., running over the cons and thefts she had made as part of the Leverage team, and then looked around the little car. They were all avoiding each others' gazes, lost in their own thoughts.

_And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life  
It's like I just stepped outside  
When everything was going right  
And I know just why you could not  
Come along with me  
'Cause this was not your dream  
But you always believed in me_

Hardison was remembering the days spent in the office, relaxing or the tense moments when he was working on a case. He remembered the easy friendship that had grown between them.

They had eventually grown to be a family, and then they had scattered.

_Another winter day has come  
And gone away  
In even Paris and Rome  
And I wanna go home  
Let me go home_

And I'm surrounded by  
A million people I  
Still feel all alone  
Oh, let me go home  
Oh, I miss you, you know

Let me go home  
I've had my run  
Baby, I'm done  
I gotta go home  
Let me go home  
It will all be all right  
I'll be home tonight  
I'm coming back home.

Sophie broke the silence. "It's always odd when music provides a fitting soundtrack for life."

No one replied, which was enough to tell her that they agreed. She parked the car, and they all got out and went up to the familiar apartment, gathering on the porch. Sophie rang the doorbell and they waited.

The door opened, and Nate stood there, looking at all of them for a moment that transcended emotion. It wasn't a happy moment, or a sad one. It just was. Nate stepped back and held the door open wider. "Want to come in?" They filed past him inside.

This time, they stayed.


End file.
